Low-cost gym chain Xercise4Less is collaborating with Lancashire Sport Partnership to help people recovering from drug and alcohol dependency by providing them with free gym memberships so they can incorporate regular physical activity into their daily routine.

The scheme is set to be rolled out in areas of the North West county after a pilot in Burnley, which was launched in December.

Lancashire Sport Partnership has developed a collaborative project called the Challenge Through Sport Initiative (CSI), which encourages adults in drug and alcohol recovery to get involved in regular sport and physical activity. The project is funded through Sport England’s Get Healthy Get Active Fund and the county's Police Crime Commissioner.

Those on the road to recovery will be given a six-month membership at Xercise4Less. After six months, users have the option to purchase a membership but this will be decided on a case-by-case basis.

“CSI works with local organisations because they provide a more supportive, friendly approach and Xercise4Less offered an excellent service for our participants,” said Jane Moodie, CSI project coordinator.

“The staff have helped to build up our participants’ confidence and self-esteem. CSI have built up from 10 to 30 memberships in six months with some of those members having gone on to pay for their own. Xercise4Less have given people in recovery from substance misuse a reason to get fit and healthy whilst making friends and having fun.”

Ash Greenwood, sales and marketing manager at Xercise4Less, added: “Overall, I am very happy to be a key representative of Xercise4Less in such great work in assisting the service users in changing their lives and getting back on track.

"Many have become very dedicated and taken out their own memberships which is great to see and does go to show how well it works. I look forward to seeing what else can be achieved and also how many more service users we can help to change lives of.”